1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a webbing for use in a seatbelt system designed to protect an occupant of a vehicle when an emergency situation occurs, the webbing being adapted to restrain the occupant at the time of a vehicular emergency.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A typical seatbelt system is arranged such that an occupant is fastened by a webbing and is restrained by the latter when a vehicular emergency situation occurs.
In general, one end portion of the webbing is wound up onto a takeup shaft of a webbing retractor by means of biasing force, whereby it is possible for the occupant to be tightly fastened by the intermediate portion of the webbing by means of the tension generated in the webbing. The webbing retractor is provided with an inertia type lock mechanism which stops the wind-off of the webbing at the time of a vehicular emergency. Thus, when an emergency situation occurs, the wind-off of the webbing is stopped, and the occupant is thereby brought into a webbing restrained condition.
In such a case, however, even after the takeup shaft has been stopped from rotating so that the webbing ceases to be wound off, the webbing may be undesirably wound off because the portion of the webbing which is wound on the takeup shaft in layers is tightened by the force of inertia acting on the body of the occupant. The extra amount by which the webbing is wound off in this case is preferably below a given value.